Review of the Year 2016

Since starting my more detailed monthly recording statistics in 2011 an achievement this year I began to think would not be attained, reaching a year’s
total of 202 species.

Outstanding bird of the year has got to be the 1st W. DESERT WHEATEAR which I found on the roof of my house on 8th November.
The bird is still showing well on Leasfoot Beach as I write these notes on 27th December. Hopefully it will cope with both the colder weather and possible disturbance from people visiting
the beach and remain on site until 1st January. Only the 7th Devon Record and most definitely the longest stayer.

More detailed monthly reviews are elsewhere on the web site so in this review I am only going to concentrate on those species which are in the scarce
category or special days of sea watching.

When I started the website 3 years ago I did not expect the number of visitors who would log on to it, so far this year over 82,500 have logged
on.

WHOOPER SWAN– 1 briefly on
South Huish Marsh on 12th March (Andy Smith)

DARTFORD WARBLER– A visiting
birder found one near West Buckland on 28th August.

YELLOW BROWED WARBLER– The largest
influx this year resulted in at least 9 being recorded on the patch, 3 ringed at South Milton Ley in November . 1 in a South Milton garden and 5 around Aveton Gifford.

RING OUZEL– 1 at South
Milton Ley on19th October (A Pomroy).

PIED FLYCATCHER– 2 records this
year – a female in the copse at South Huish Marsh on 3rd May and a Juv male ringed at South Milton Ley on 25th August.

BLUE HEADED WAGTAIL– Males on
South Huish Marsh 17th and 22nd April and 5th May.

BRAMBLING– Only 2 records – a male
flew over my garden on 25th October and 1 M 3F in Aveton Gifford on 11th November.

CROSSBILL– 6 landed in nearby
trees at Thurlestone Village on 30th October.

Nothing better than having an eye glued to a scope for several hours particularly when spring passage
in full flow

In April Thurlestone Bay can be extremely good particularly with strong SE winds, birds on
passage have difficulty heading E up the channel and very often Waders, Divers and Skuas will fly in off the sea and proceed up the Valley – they use this route to fly over land to Lyme
Bay. This year there were 4 memorable days –

Sunday 10th April – Cloudy with a SSE gale F8.

Started watching at 09.00am. from “Bob’s” car park through till 13.00 and returned for a further 2
hours from 15.00 – 17.00.

A total of 6 hours produced.

GANNET - 140

FULMAR - 20

MANX SHEARWATER - 1

PINTAIL - 1M.

COMMON SCOTER - 385

TEAL - 3

ARCTIC SKUA - 1 DP

MED GULL - 2AD

ACTIC TERN - 30

COMMON TERN - 9

SANDWICH TERN - 19

LITTLE TERN - 2

Monday 11th April with a very light E wind and a flat sea 4 hours from 08.00
produced

GANNET - 45

MANX SHEARWATER - 225

COMMON SCOTER – 93

SHELDUCK - 9

BRENT GOOSE - 2

TUFTED DUCK - 2M 1F

GREAT NORTHER DIVER - 1

BONXIE - 1

SANDWICH TERN - 19

COMMON TERN - 3

Wednesday 20th April – Cloudy E F6

Seawatching from 08.55 for 3 hours produced.

GANNET - 35

MANX SHEARWATER - 2

FULMAR - 8

COMMON SCOTER - 1

SHOVELER - 8

CURLEW - 2

WHIMBREL - 25

BAR-TAILED GODWIT – 1

GREY PLOVER - 3

I returned at 17.00 and stayed until 18.40

SANDWICH TERN - 5

BAR-TAILED GODWIT - 225

(flocks of 60 and 55)

WHIMBREL - 43

COMMON SCOTER - 2

GREY PLOVER - 12 (single flock)

The day total of 15 GREY PLOVER is a site record

Monday 2nd May WSW F5 Cloudy poor viz

This produced the best days SKUA passage of the Spring in3 hours from 09.15

SANDWICH TERN - 12

COMMON TERN - 1

MANX SHEARWATER - 7

GREAT SKUA - 7

POMARINE SKUA - 5

ARCTIC SKUA - 3

Hopefully this brief review of 2016 provides some indication of how rewarding local patch watching can
be. A number of these scarce birds were recorded during my visible migration watch from either my garden or at the back of the Golf Course.

Hope those reading this will have enjoyed some great birding moments on their own local
patch.

Within a few days the 1st January will herald in another year 2017, something scarce or even
a BB rarity will probably turn up now that’s something to look forward to.